Chapters End and New Chapters Begin.

Good evening. As I sit here writing, the sun has set, dogs are barking but the kookaburras are sleeping. Next door, a family are swimming in their pool and the night noises of the curlew, cicadas and frogs might be heard, if all else was silent. It has been more than a year since I last posted and as much has happened since then, I will just give you some of the highlights. 

We continue to live and work in North Queensland and just like any other chapter in our lives, it has had its challenges and its blessings.

 I have completed my Masters of Education, majoring in Counselling and Guidance and in my role as a teacher and leader at the school, I find many opportunities to use what I have learned. It is was a very interesting and practical course. 
Having finished one avenue of study, Andy wondered if I would start another course and almost 'won the bet' when I considered studying how to become a better writer. I enrolled in a writer's group that sends weekly emails about courses in writing but also gives motivational hints on how to write, so I've decided that is enough for now.

This year I had the privilege of teaching a grade 5/6 class and have been very happy with how my students have gone and privileged at watching them grow. They are good reminders of why I began teaching many, many years ago and why I am still in the education field. I think, one day, it might be nice to teach a straight class rather than a multi-age class but as I've never taught just one year level, I don't really know. 

 Last year, Andy and I went sailing for a 2 day-2 night yacht cruise with a tourist company which involved snorkelling in the Great Barier Reef, walking on the very white sands of Whitehaven Beach and sleeping in a small cabin. I've discovered that I love snorkelling! It's like swimming in a real-life aquarium and is so relaxing and beautiful.

Christmas last year we went to Melbourne and caught up with friends and family, having a late Christmas dinner with my favourite son and his wife, as well. We went to the Vic market and had hot jam donuts (the best!), a Boxing Day sale with friends, travelled on a train from the city to the country, saw the New Years Eve celebration in Melbourne from a shopping centre carpark after just watching "The Greatest Showman" and flew back refreshed to begin a new year here.

Every now and again, I walk with my friend early on a Wednesday morning before I go to work. The view is often the same and each time I look for the 'perfect photo' but they all turn out so pretty! I also walk with Andy and one time during 'winter', I also took photos but again, not much different to every other day. The only thing that really changes, is the humidity! During summer, the humidity is sticky and hot. The other thing about summer, is the watch for cyclones begins. There was a cyclone earlier this year, but after the impact of Cyclone Debbie, it felt quite insignificant. Having said that, as we prepared for it, the anxiety and trauma of cyclone Debbie resurfaced too. We all breathed a sigh of relief when this one didn't turn out so bad.

Just before we went away in July, 2 of our work friends came to visit Andy with a dryer. Andy, who rarely wears thongs (flip flops) but on this occasion did not put his workboots on, was helping lift it into our house, when it fell on his toe. Mike looked down at his toe and the trail of blood, and promptly told him he needed to see the doctor. I took him off to emergency and he had 8 stitches in his big toe. Lucky he has big feet or the toe might have been amputated! The cutting of his toe gave the principal the opportunity to tell more 'dad jokes' than usual. It was toe-taly unexpected.

 In July this year, we went to visit our friends from Toowoomba, celebrating a friend's birthday, shopping together, eating at great places, talking, laughing and just enjoying being with people we love. To top the trip off, we went riding with one of our friends and ended up coming back with our two horses. Well, actually, they didn't come back with us, they came up via truck a few weeks later. 

   Boston, my horse is a 5 year old, cob x welsh gelding just over 15hh. He loves attention and can be a bit stubborn at times but he is one very good-looking horse! Andy's horse is a 20 year old quarterhorse mare. Image is sweet-tempered and very stable and especially these last few weeks, she and Andy have really bonded. She has developed a yeast/skin infection, so Andy has to go out and wash her 2 or 3 times a week. We agist the horses out of town but are trying to find a place where we can live and have the horses with us.
At the moment, it is very dry here and areas are in drought. We had a shower of rain early this morning but need so much more. 

Just recently, Nathan and Mel came to visit for the weekend. It was a packed weekend as we visited a wildlife farm, hung out at the local 'watering hole' and spent a day exploring the Whitsundays, again including snorkelling. It was so good to spend time with them and make some more special memories, but all too soon it was over so we said goodbye until the next time - let's hope it is soon.

So, as we head towards Christmas, we have the school Awards ceremony, break-up parties and celebrations. Looking back and looking forward, there is so much to be thankful for. Even where there is brokenness, there is hope, where there is ugliness of evil, there is beauty in our surroundings, where there can be feelings of being unsettled, I know I am also loved by family and friends who hold me close, encourage me and laugh with  me.

I am thankful that, no matter what the circumstances, I am very blessed!

P.S. This may be my last post for this blog "The Garden Trail". I have ideas for a different style one which I am going to call, "Horses, Teaching and Other Important Things". So, I will still be writing and it will still be personal but it will also be from a 'professional' point of view too, in order to help friends and family with issues they may be struggling with. When I finally get it up and running, you'll find a link here at this webpage, too.